Everyone asking for Flight Reviews as a new CFI
Posted by Hopeful_Repair1409@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 19 comments
I’ve just earned my CFI/CFII and I was wondering if there is anything I should be skeptical of in regard to people reaching out for flight reviews. It seems like everyone wants me to “do them a favor”. I would think insurance is a great idea, but what about flying out of a flight school that I don’t work for? I’d like to hear people’s experience with this, things to stay away from, and if doing random flight reviews is worth my time. Thank you in advance.
Silent_Possession861@reddit
They may be lacking in proficiency ans think you'll give them an "easy" signoff after minimum ground and flight.
BandicootNo4431@reddit
Don't fly for free unless there's a DAMN good reason to (like giving your dad a flight review)
If I were your post my hourly rate for flight reviews outside of the schools as being somewhere between what the flight schools are charging and what you'd make working at the flight school. I've seen 50-60/hour.
bhalter80@reddit
Dad can pay, he'd probably appreciate kiddo having the discipline to charge him
redditburner_5000@reddit
I'm not sure I'll feel that way after footing the bill for training.
bhalter80@reddit
You were going to pay someone anyway give the kid some beer money
redditburner_5000@reddit
Lol. No.
My kids' flight training is not a public service for some 141 puppy-mill grad to get hours.
shadowalker125@reddit
For freelance i would never charge less than $50/hr for random people.
burnheartmusic@reddit
Tell them that however many years it’s been, it will take about that many hours of flying/ground to get them through
OnslowBay27@reddit
This is my go to BFR text message.
“I will be glad to schedule you for the flight review. We can do the ground portion on in the morning and the air work in the afternoon on Sunday. I require all of my students to do two hours ground and two hours in the air in order to fully evaluate their skill level and determine if there are areas that need to be improved. I charge a minimum of $375, and $75 per additional air hour and $40 per ground hour for my services.”
NevadaCFI@reddit
Sign up for SAFE or NAFI and get insurance. Then, only give Flight Reviews in planes you are comfortable flying. People will expect a 1-hour flight and 1-hour ground session. Few are ready to be signed off after this short time unless they fly quite regularly.
denverpilot@reddit
Quote them your hourly rate and tell them you'll enjoy administering a solid review of their skillset. (For yourself, familiarize yourself with the legally required items.). Ask them if they have any particular pain points in mind or things they feel they need to brush up on. Mention the written syllabus you'll be using.
Set the tone. You're a professional. If "do them a favor" means a freebie, no. If "do them a favor" means an easy sign-off, no... that's up to them and their performance.
Insurance for a CFI is a much broader topic you may wish to dive deeper into in more detail, and difficult to cover without specifics. Flying out of a flight school you don't work for, may not even be allowed by that school's management, ask them.
About the only time you see CFIs not charging for services is perhaps via "professional courtesy"... another CFI you work with needs a BFR, etc... and at least when I've done it, lunch is on them... but wasn't requested. Even then, if it was a random CFI without some sort of personal knowledge of them even "existing" in the local CFI community or a personal introduction from someone, I'd generally avoid even a hint of any quid pro quo. Nobody needs that headache if they get investigated later on for anything.
Guard your reputation and your signature, as if they mean something. You don't have to be an ass about it, just make it clear in a friendly way that this is your profession now.
makgross@reddit
Do not instruct in an airplane you haven’t been explicitly invited to instruct in. Your students, especially rusty pilots, will try to kill you. And it will become your fault — you are the highest rated. Make sure you are insured.
If you’re giving instruction without authorization and your student strikes the tail due to high flare, YOU may be on the hook for that. Both in terms of the NTSB report (it is NOT excluded from “incidents” like prop strikes or gear up landings are) and your insurance responsibility.
Mispelled-This@reddit
If by “favor” you/they mean “free”, no.
If by “favor” you/they mean “pencil-whip”, also no.
No_Diver_2133@reddit
Be clear with them that there is no minimum sign off hours unless they’re able to demonstrate safe piloting. If they are mad they didn’t get signed off in one flight, so be it.
OneSea3243@reddit
Quick story of a CFI I know that did a flight review on an experimental plane. The plane fell apart and he lost his medical but got it back after 30 or so years. You should check the log books for quality of maintenance throughly which the CFI didn’t do
shadowalker125@reddit
Don't do that and charge, they would get very mad at doing that. If you want to do that, you need to be on the schools insurance as an instructor.
Never. Your cert is on the line until they get another review flight. Do your diligence and do it right.
Absolutely, at no less than $50/he and get yourself CFI insurance.
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Not sure if you're saying "doing a flavor" in terms of paying you, or doing a favor in terms of signing them off.
I'd say, if you want a load off your shoulders, tell them to do the WINGS program and you'll do the flight portion of it. They learn something new (hopefully) and you don't have to talk about random FARs during the ground portion.
bhalter80@reddit
You're a highly skilled professional charge accordingly.
Ask yourself if they crash in the next 2 years can you say they were competent or that you were too nice to tell them they needed additional training?
Most private pilots haven't seen accelerated stalls, teach this and they'll feel like they got something out of the training. Explain how it connects to base to final stalls
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I’ve just earned my CFI/CFII and I was wondering if there is anything I should be skeptical of in regard to people reaching out for flight reviews. It seems like everyone wants me to “do them a favor”. I would think insurance is a great idea, but what about flying out of a flight school that I don’t work for? I’d like to hear people’s experience with this, things to stay away from, and if doing random flight reviews is worth my time. Thank you in advance.
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